Ukraine refuses to extend truce with pro-Russian rebels, vowing instead to go on the attack

Tue 1 Jul 2014, 10:33 AM AEST

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Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko announced a ceasefire 11 days ago, but says he will not extend the truce.

Reuters: Thomas Peter

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko says he will renew operations against pro-Russian rebels today, after an 11-day unilateral ceasefire.

A statement on his website says Ukrainian forces will attack the rebels and free occupied territory.

The announcement comes hours after a unilateral ceasefire expired. That truce was meant to allow peace talks to go ahead.

"After examining the situation, I have decided, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, not to extend the unilateral ceasefire," Mr Poroshenko said in an address to the nation.

He said "we are going to attack" the separatists who have controlled for the past two months a large part of the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.

Mr Poroshenko added however that Ukraine was not abandoning its peace plan.

"We are even ready to return to a ceasefire at any moment, when we see that all the parties agree to enact the essential points of the peace plan," he said, stressing the release of hostages and that Russia stop the saboteurs and arms dealers from crossing the Ukrainian border.

The announcement came a few hours after his teleconference with the leaders of Germany, France and Russia, who were pushing for the ceasefire to be extended.

Mr Poroshenko says the decision to discontinue the ceasefire is the government's answer to what he calls "terrorists, militants and marauders".

Kiev had accused the rebels of numerous violations of the ceasefire.

A statement tweeted by the foreign ministry said 27 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed since the ceasefire started 11 days ago.